The Loss of a Wasted Talent (SoundRaves Week of 7/25/2011)

I was at my computer, on iTunes this past Saturday morning, getting ready for a barbecue down in Belmar at the Jersey Shore, preparing a playlist of music, as my friend Wendy had asked if I wanted to DJ the event.   With my Bose SoundDock Portable that my wife Barbara gave me as an anniversary gift and my iPod, that was not a problem...no standing by the stereo being a wallflower in order to keep the music going. 

It was a mix of old and new...some current songs as well as classic.   Much of the music did include those of the decade just passed.  One of the staples of music in that category is Amy Winehouse's "Rehab".   I included that song on the playlist, but it was just moments later when I saw an item on my Facebook News Feed, that Ms. Winehouse passed away at the age of 27.

I let out on big OMG!   But I had to admit that I shouldn't have really been too surprised that it happened as she was well on the way to self-destruction, still it caught me by surprise.

It was just last month, during my blog on E-Street Band saxophonist's Clarence Clemons' death at age 69, I was concerned that Winehouse may be joining him soon, especially after her pitiful performance at a concert in Belgrade, Serbia the week before, slurring her words to the point that the music was unrecognizable.  Little did I realize that I would be that prophetic.

While they still don't know "officially" the cause of her death last Saturday morning, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that drugs played a part.   Her "Rehab" song was all too real, and even when she tried to take it seriously and check in, it didn't go too well; a lot of outside influences, including her estranged husband probably didn't help matters.

But whatever the means, we had lost a very talented singer/song-writer who made a significant contribution to recent music history.   There are those who don't think it was a big deal; after all she had only one big hit ("Rehab" hit #9 in 2007), and one hit album Back to Black, and two overall (Frank was released in 2003), and she's been pretty much silent since.     But that couldn't have been further from the truth.

Great artists inspire other artists, or at least pave the way for their success.     It's been noted that Winehouse is now another member of the "27 Club", a noteworthy list of famed musicians who passed away, by one means or another, at that age:   That includes legends such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Brian Jones from The Rolling Stones.  

Another one who was added to that list in recent years was Kurt Cobain, the frontman for grunge band Nirvana who shot himself in 1994.    His band, with their success with the album Nevermind, including their hit "Smells Like Teen Spirit", paved the way for the grunge movement in the early 90's, and bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains soon followed.  Grunge inspired the "post-grunge" genre, with bands like Stone Temple Pilots, Bush, and of course drummer Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters.     Today, Nirvana is considered one of the cornerstones bands in rock history.

Amy should be in this category too, in spite of her limited output.   After all, Nirvana only put out three albums themselves.     But Amy introduced (or maybe more accurately RE-introduced) a soulful, retro sound styled in a 1960's approach with sensibilities of the new millenium.    Some may argue that this was ground covered by such Brit pop thrushes of that era like Petula Clark and especially Dusty Springfield, but, more than forth years later, many thought it was a lost art.   

But here's a case for Amy.   Who did she influence, or at least pave the way to a new invasion of success?   Soon after "Rehab" and Back to Black found gold, we had Duffy with "Mercy" and others, Lily Allen with "Smile", and, especially Adele, arguably the hottest singer on the planet.    Loaded with talent, do you think Ms. Adkins would have sold this many recordings had Ms. Winehouse not been there first?     It's no secret that Adele, with four songs currently on my SoundRaves survey, is one of my favorites; it's because of the similar style and approach that Amy took.    Add to that other acts like LaRoux, Florence & the Machine, VV Brown (all with top 10's on my chart), and even extended that to male acts like Plan B, or, at the extreme, even American soul groups such as Fitz & the Tantrums, well, that's one hell of an influence.

Unfortunately, Amy Winehouse cannot build on that talent as it was wasted and gone, she, along with the others in the "27 Club" lived their lives with reckless abandon and paid the ultimate price.  We do have one track to look forward to, that being a duet with legendary crooner Tony Bennett on his upcoming Duets II album.  Winehouse said in an interview after the recording that she hoped to tell her grandkids about singing with the legendary Bennett.  

Alas, not here in our lifetime.


SOUNDRAVES 100:  It's Rachel Allyn one more time at the top as "Say Hello to Goodbye" stays in the lead for a third week, holding off some formidable competition as the top 5 songs are very strong and likeable.    It breaks a string of #1's that lasted two weeks, the first time since Florence + the Machine's "Dog Days Are Over", which was on top for a single week back in May.    More importantly, the song is being played this week on Renegade Radio Nashville ( http://www.RenegadeRadioNashvi​lle.com/ ), a new Internet country music radio station which launced early in June.   Rachel is the featured artist this week, a great chance for exposure!  Hopefully my country friends will be listening to her this week.    Ms. Allyn has also been busy with her gigs as well.    This weekend alone, she'll be at Shogun 27 in Kendell Park on Friday evening, then a busy Saturday with an appearance at the annual Jamaroo Festival in Layton NJ as well as at the Jefferson House.     A great time to check her out.

There is one new entry in the Top 20, the second entry from Portugal. The Man, 'Got it All".   This one is from their new album "In the Mountain In the Cloud", released last week. (Their earlier hit "People Say" was from the Portland band's 2009 effort "The Satanic Satanist").   The band played New York City as well as the Mountain Jam at Hunter Mountain back in June, but are now touring the west.

Some big movers worth talking about include, as mentioned last week, "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" by Red Hot Chili Peppers, which I played at the Belmar barbecue that I DJ'd at this past Saturday.   One of my friends had mentioned that this band was either hit or miss with their songs over their long history (actually that's occasionally the case even within one song!), this song is more mellower than some of their raunchier early material, but still a good song.  While Foster the People continue at the top of the Alternative chart (and fast moving up the Hot 100 ) with the year-old "Pumped Up Kicks", "Helena Beat" is starting to make inroads at #28.   

Also making a big move is "Moves Like Jagger", an uptempo number from Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera.  It's the fourth single from the band's Hands All Over set, and the band's first top 10 from it (#8).    The first single, "Misery" reached the top 20 on the Hot 100, and #21 on SoundRaves.    The next two singles "Give a Little More" and "Never Gonna Leave This Bed" landed lower on both charts, but it looks like the collaboration is the big hit from it.   Augilera and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine both appears as coached on the hit reality show The Voice and performed this song on it.   Finally, the last big mover is "16 Monkeys" by Los Lonely Boys, best known for their 2004 hit "Heaven".   They've cooled off considerable since then, but this song, the second off their Rockpango set, is a departure and very catchy.   The understated vocals are somewhat reminicent of Beck, and the rhythmic backing is so infectuous.    A welcome change of pace for the Tex-Mex rockers and worth checking out.

Finally, three strong debuts hit the chart, led by Wilco's "I Might", from an upcoming album to be released September 27.   The Chicago band, which evolved from alt-country act Uncle Tupelo has continued to move further from that area with the lead single from their upcoming album The Whole Love.  I can think of three songs that it reminds me off, two of them from the magical summer of 1966, "The Pied Piper" and "Black is Black".  Add a bit of Van Morrison's "Real Real Gone", and maybe some others and you have the gist of "I Might".

Another big debuter is the latest Fitz and the Tantrums single "Don't Gotta Work It Out", which I had held back for a few weeks, but as the track is making inroads at Triple-A stations (and with "Dear Mr. President" slipping a notch to #4), I thought it was a good a time as any...once again, the soulfulness oozes out of the track.    Song should keep FATT's momentum which started with "MoneyGrabber" going strong.    The last biggie is the new Lykke Li single "Rich Kids Blues" which offers yet another dimension of the Swedish singer whose "Get Some" made my top 5.

Two of my faves are playing in this area if you want to catch them.   West-coast based Avi Buffalo, currently at #7 with their latest, are playing at the Rock Shop in Brooklyn on Wednesday July 27; Danish duo The Raveonettes will be at South Street Seaport this Sunday, and Maxwell's in Hoboken on Monday, August 1.

The SoundRaves 100 for the week of July 25, 2011:

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	1	RACHEL ALLYN "Say Hello To Goodbye" (Single Only) (3 weeks at #1)	9
2	4	Plan B- Love Goes Down	5
3	2	Katy Perry - Last Friday Night	7
4	3	Fitz and the Tantrums - Dear Mr. President	7
5	5	Florence + the Machine - You Got the Love	11
6	7	Fleet Foxes - Grown Ocean	11
7	8	Avi Buffalo - How Come	5
8	6	Train - Save Me San Francisco	12
9	9	My Morning Jacket - Holdin' On to Black Metal	10
10	18	Best Coast - Something In The Way	6
11	12	The Strokes - Taken For A Fool	11
12	19	Adele - Set Fire To the Rain	4
13	11	Adele - Rumour Has It	14
14	14	Adele - Rolling In the Deep	33
15	16	Foo Fighters - Walk	7
16	15	Lady Gaga - The Edge of Glory	7
17	17	The Black Keys - Everlasting Light	7
18	21	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK   PORTUGAL. THE MAN "Got It All" Album: In the Mountain in the Cloud	7
19	13	Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi-Two Against One	16
20	10	Lykke Li - Get Some	11

21	23	Neon Trees - Your Surrender	14
22	26	Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall	8
23	22	The Raveonettes - Apparitions	9
24	39	Brilliant Colors - How Much Younger	3
25	20	Kate Voegele - Heart In Chains	11
26	24	Fleet Foxes - Battery Kinzie	11
27	25	Ray Lamontagne & the Pariah Dogs - Repo Man	10
28	48	Foster the People - Helena Beat	3
29	63	Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie	2
30	37	We Are Augustines - Chapel Song	6
31	82	MOVER OF THE WEEK   MAROON 5 featuring CHRISTINA AGUILERA "Moves Like Jagger" Album: Hands All Over	2
32	32	Paramore - Monster	8
33	34	Shontelle - Say Hello to Goodbye	9
34	44	Cee Lo Green - Bright Lights, Bigger City	4
35	45	Wild Flag - Romance	5
36	31	Adele - Someone Like You	14
37	36	Gomez - Options	9
38	38	The Lonely Forest - We Sing In Time	6
39	47	Generationals - Ten Twenty Ten	4
40	42	Arcade Fire - Month of May	11
41	90	Los Lonely Boys - 16 Monkeys	2
42	46	Zac Brown Band f Jimmy Buffet - Knee Deep	12
43	62	The Kooks - Junk of the Heart	3
44	30	Drive-By Truckers - Everybody Needs Love	13
45	27	Cage the Elephant - Around My Head	13
46	52	KT Tunstall - Glamour Puss	5
47	61	Beastie Boys - Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win	3
48	56	Sleeper Agent - Get It Daddy	5
49	----	TOP DEBUT:   WILCO "I Might" Album: The Whole Love	1
50	29	The Wombats - Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)	15
51	33	Cold War Kids - Skip the Charades	11
52	51	Kenny Chesney f. Grace Potter - You & Tequila	8
53	28	Death Cab for Cutie - You are A Tourist	16
54	54	Scotty McCreery - I Love You This Big	9
55	43	Rachel Allyn - Gettin' By	28
56	40	Christina Perri - Arms	10
57	57	Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks	27
58	58	Arctic Monkeys - Don't Sit Down "Cause I Moved Your Chair	9
59	59	Brett Dennon - Comeback Kid	7
60	41	Peter Bjorn & John - Dig A Little Deeper	11
61	68	Yacht - Dystopia	5
62	66	Young the Giant - Cough Syrup	4
63	----	Fitz and the Tantrums - Don't Gotta Work It Out	1
64	35	Lady Gaga - Judas	12
65	67	Linkin Park - Iridescent	6
66	69	Lenny Kravitz - Stand	3
67	----	Lykke Li - Rich Kids Blues	1
68	50	Dom - Living In America	16
69	49	The Kills - Future Starts Slow	9
70	71	Kings of Leon - Back Down South	7
71	76	Michelle Branch - Loud Music	3
72	53	Foster the People - Houdini	13
73	74	The Head and the Heart - Lost In My Mind	5
74	92	PJ Harvey - Let England Shake	2
75	64	Florence + the Machine - Dog Days are Over	21
76	72	The Naked and Famous - Punching In A Dream	6
77	55	The Vaccines - Post Break-up Sex	20
78	65	Rise Against - Make It Stop	7
79	60	Sam Roberts Band - The Last Crusade	10
80	86	Goo Goo Dolls - All That You Are	3
81	87	Colbie Calliat - Brighter Than the Sun	3
82	73	Givers - Up Up Up	7
83	85	Hot Chelle Rae - Tonight Tonight	6
84	75	Sublime with Rome - Panic	9
85	81	Bon Iver - Calgary	4
86	----	SuperHeavy - Miracle Worker	1
87	84	10 Years - Fix Me	8
88	89	The Band Perry - If I Die Young	4
89	77	Scars on 45 - Give Me Something	23
90	91	Mat Kearney - Hey Mama	4
91	83	Fitz and the Tantrums - Money Grabber	34
92	----	Grouplove - Colours	1
93	----	The Decemberists - Calamity Song	1
94	95	A Day to Remember - All Signs Point to Lauderdale	2
95	94	The Belle Brigade - Losers	6
96	96	Incubus - Promises, Promises	2
97	70	Ke$ha - Blow	10
98	78	Ben Harper - Rock n' Roll is Free	16
99	88	311 - Sunset in July	8
100	----	Trevor Hall - Brand New Day	1

New York Rock Radio Is in a Hard Place (SoundRaves Week of 7/18/2011)

If you haven't heard the radio recently, then surely you've at least heard the news about it:    New York's lone commercial broadcast outlet for new rock, WRXP, 101.9, is no more.     The station's long time owner, Emmis Communications, after putting it on the market for a while, finally sold the station.    This past weekend they were stunting some softer, more commercial rock without DJ's, but the ultimate format will be News/Talk, which seemed to work so well (NOT!) on WNEW, which of course, once was a legendary rock station in its own right.

Despite The Beatles playing Carnegie Hall, The Ed Sullivan Show and Shea Stadium (and for that matter, Paul McCartney's recent concerts at Citi Field, and just last weekend, Yankee Stadium); despite the birth of punk rock and new wave at CBGB's; and all the way to the current alt-rock scene in Brooklyn, with bands like The Drums, TV On the Radio, Sleigh Bells and others; and Madison Square Garden a viable venue for concerts, New York is still not considered a "rock town" when it comes to playing it on the radio.   And apparently it never really was.

And if classic and mainstream rock is a relative rarity here, then lotsa luck finding one that plays current alternative rock.   

I know us Alt-rock lovers aren't alone, it's been ages since the Big Apple had a Country music station as well, but sometimes I get the impression that these commercial stations insult our intelligence when it comes to music.  

I have to admit I rarely listened to RXP, maybe a glance here and there, but only because I gave up any hope for a cutting edge station on the right side of the dial.   There is, of course WFUV, which does play a lot of new and obscure rock (in fact, looking at there website, one of the jocks talks with the Sam Roberts band  (whose "The Last Crusade" has been a SoundRaves fixure for the last nine weeks, and is #60 this week), but if other areas can have a commercial alternative or "Triple A" station, why can't New York?

Back in the day, WNEW-FM was the rock station of choice.   In the early 70's during my high school days, it wasn't considered "cool" to listen to Top 40...Progressive album rock on the FM dial was where it's at.    And when I went to college at Montclair State, which had their own radio station, half the time, the music being pumped in was WNEW!!!  I probably would have never thought about the classic prog-rock album Remember the Future by Nektar, for example if that didn't happen.

But, like most AOR ("Album-oriented Rock") stations, the format became regimented and was a victim of its own success....less and less new music and more and more classic rock began invading these types of stations, until things got pretty stagnant.

The first real cutting-edge format to emerge as a challenge, coincidentally was on the same frequency as RXP at 101.9, WPIX, which changed formats as often as people changed underwear.    But between late 1978 and early 1980, they had a new wave format, the first real new rock style in about a decade.    However, ratings weren't that great (giving proof to New York's conspiracy against rock), and the format was jettisoned.

By the mid 1980's all of the rock stations were relying heavily on the music 15 to 20 years before hand, fr example, playing The Doors like it was a current band, but there was a modern rock movement underway with bands like Depeche Mode, The Cure, Camper Van Beethoven, Siouxie & the Banshees, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Smiths and others.    Some stations, like the Top 40 (but rock-leaning) WPST, out of Trenton NJ would have something called "The Modern Rock Dance Party" on Friday nights (and in the 90's, the station would feature just about all alternative up until around 1996 and have a similar show called "Post-Modern PST").    There actually WAS a great alternative station out in Long Island at 92.7, WDRE (which was rock powerhouse WLIR).  The only problem with that, was during my commute home from Roseland to Budd Lake, it would fade out somewhere between Parsippany and Denville.   A big tease if you ask me!


But for me, it wouldn't be until the summer of 1990 when I realized what a great Alt-rock station could be.    As I had done the year before, I joined a beach house in Belmar NJ.   The station of choice was WHTG-FM, "FM 106.3" ("Real Rock Radio"...later "Modern Rock at the Jersey Shore"), and heard...24/7...bands like The Stone Roses, Something Happens, The Origin, Dramarama, Happy Mondays, The Charlatans UK and other stuff I never heard anywhere else, mixed in with some classics like The Undertones, The Stranglers, Devo, and countless others.  New stuff by INXS ("Suicide Blonde") and Jane's Addiction ("Stop") for example provided the soundtrack to that great summer (for me anyway!).   For the next several summers in Belmar, I kept my car radio and boom box tuned to WHTG-FM.

The problem was what do to when the summer was over.    That especially became a big problem   I subscribed to Billboard, so I knew what the big Modern Rock hits were.   Do I buy a full CD without knowing what kind of music was on it?   That was the big dilemma; I just had to bite the bullet and listen to regular mainstream rock on WDHA or the occasional alt-rock hits on WPST.

In the winter of 1992-93, part of that problem was solved when I joined "The Skihaus" up at Mount Snow Vermont.    For many, the station of choice was WEQX, based in nearby Manchester, and again I was in music heaven.    Of course, just the year before saw grunge explode with the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarten and several others.    Alternative rock started getting the press, along with the listeners.    Other breakout artists ranged from Stone Temple Pilots to Live; Matthew Sweet to Gin Blossoms.  Black 47 was featured on 'EQX to the point that haus-mate Brian Sniatkowski played their "Funky Ceili" over and over in the house around 20 times.  

But in New York City and Northern New Jersey?   Still no alternative rock.   WPST started dayparting it in the evenings, and by 1994, even Z-100 started leaning in that direction (unfortunately kiling WDRE in the process).  

Then the biggest break occurred.    New York, in early 1996, finally got an alternative rocker in WXRK, 92.3 "K-Rock" (which had been a classic rocker for about ten years).   Upstate in Orange County, there was WRRV which became modern as well.   Unfortunately for the former, it became a big fraud, in my opinion.    First of all, they had Howard Stern in the morning, who didn't play music.    Then, somehow, Metallica made its way into the rotation, followed by Korn, Papa Roach, Limp Bizkit and other "Nu-metal bands" which basically hi-jacked the format.   Guns n Roses?  You gotta be kidding!    K-Rock was mainstream rock in alternative clothing, and the jocks were horrible as well.    'RRV was much better (morning man "Boris" was cool to listen to), although a notch below EQX and HTG.   Alternative became loud, booming noise.   By the end of 1996, the mainstream deserted the format...Z-100 went back to top 40 (and DRE....back to becoming LIR, was never the same).   Even WPST in Trenton...always rock leaning even during the "adult boom" of the early 1980's, and head first into alterative leaning music in the early 90's, went all top 40 with The Spice Girls, hip-hop and the boy bands.   I did eventually discover a great Triple-A station in WDST (100.1 out of Woodstock), but again, I could only listen to it during a portion of my ride to Vermont.

Rock...all kinds...started withering away in the mainstream during the 2000's.  I ignored K-Rock (it eventually disappeared a few years later), and eventually RRV.   In fact, except for the summer and winter, I had to rely on web streaming (thank you, Internet!) to get my new music.   WHTG-FM 106.3 (now called G-106.3 or G-Rock radio, but still a great station despite a change in presentation in 2001), finally folded in 2009.   Many of my friends do listen to FUV (and some classic 'NEW jocks like Dennis Elsas are there), but I can't get it that clearly except for streaming.  So, by the time RXP did get on the air, for me it was a matter of 'how long will THAT last'.   But I really started getting into to recently....it was a thrill to actually hear The Black Keys on a New York radio station.   So, even though it's gone, it's still sad.     Neil Young, perhaps said it best:  "Rock n Roll will never die". 

You just gotta find a place to listen to it....


SOUNDRAVES 100:  As I mentioned earlier, Country had also been short-changed in New York City (no station since the mid-90's, and I don't there's any suburban FM outlets in North Jersey, either.   Still, there's quite a few on my chart this week, and that includes the formidable Rachel Allyn, who holds off some tough competition to log her second week at #1.   She breaks a record of sort, that being most cumulative weeks at #1, with six.  "Stand Still" hit the top for a single week, while her most recent "Gettin' By" stayed at the top for 3.   She thus breaks a tie with Adele (5 weeks on 3 #1's), and Avi Buffalo, who did it with just one song "What's In It For?"--more on that song later.     Ms. Allyn's status on Tuesday was that she was at 30 Rock for a taping of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.  Unfortunately it's just to see country legend Emmylou Harris and not to perform herself.     Oh well.....

Katy Perry stays at #2, while Fitz & the Tantrums move up a notch to #3.   They are filming a video for their new single "Don't Gotta Work It Out", and I will finally add it when that is released, as there's just too much good stuff out there.     Plan B jumps to #4, while Florence + the Machine hold tough at #5.   Next week is anyone's guess who will be at the top; any of these five could grab the brass ring.

Two additions to the Top 20 this week.   Adele yet again with "Set Fire to the Rain", become the first artist to land 4 songs in that elite circle.    So, what else is new?    But the Top 20 Impact goes to Best Coast, the LA indie, garage rockers, who also have a surf-pop sound.   They are touring mostly out west, including some dates with Lykke Li, and will also be at Lollapalooza in a couple of weeks.

Speaking of Lollapalooza, the headliner for the 1992 festival is back with a new single and upcoming album.   Red Hot Chili Peppers have the top debut at #63 with "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie".  It's from their forthcoming 10th album (and first in five years), titled I'm With You.  Guitarist John Frusciante has left the band; his replacement is Josh Klinghoffer.  They will tour, but starting out in Latin America the last half of this year, but will be in the US (as well as the UK and Australia) in 2012.

Finally, Fitz & the Tantrums "Money Grabber" drops slightly to #83, but logs its 33rd week on the list, breaking the record of 32 weeks by "What's It In For?" by Avi Buffalo.    Of course, with "Rolling in the Deep" STILL in the top 20 (31st week there, 32nd overall), Adele will shatter that in record fashion.

The SoundRaves 100 for the Week of July 18, 2011:

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	1	RACHEL ALLYN "Say Hello To Goodbye" (Single Only)	8
2	2	Katy Perry - Last Friday Night	6
3	4	Fitz and the Tantrums - Dear Mr. President	6
4	10	Plan B- Love Goes Down	4
5	5	Florence + the Machine - You Got the Love	10
6	3	Train - Save Me San Francisco	11
7	9	Fleet Foxes - Grown Ocean	10
8	12	Avi Buffalo - How Come	4
9	7	My Morning Jacket - Holdin' On to Black Metal	9
10	6	Lykke Li - Get Some	10
11	8	Adele - Rumour Has It	13
12	13	The Strokes - Taken For A Fool	10
13	11	Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi-Two Against One	15
14	14	Adele - Rolling In the Deep	32
15	15	Lady Gaga - The Edge of Glory	6
16	17	Foo Fighters - Walk	6
17	18	The Black Keys - Everlasting Light	6
18	26	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK   BEST COAST "Something In the Way" Album: Something in the Way (EP)	5
19	34	Adele - Set Fire To the Rain	3
20	16	Kate Voegele - Heart In Chains	10

21	24	Portugal the Man - Got It All	6
22	23	The Raveonettes - Apparitions	8
23	27	Neon Trees - Your Surrender	13
24	19	Fleet Foxes - Battery Kinzie	10
25	22	Ray Lamontagne & the Pariah Dogs - Repo Man	9
26	31	Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall	7
27	20	Cage the Elephant - Around My Head	12
28	21	Death Cab for Cutie - You are A Tourist	15
29	25	The Wombats - Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)	14
30	30	Drive-By Truckers - Everybody Needs Love	12
31	29	Adele - Someone Like You	13
32	36	Paramore - Monster	7
33	28	Cold War Kids - Skip the Charades	10
34	37	Shontelle - Say Hello to Goodbye	8
35	33	Lady Gaga - Judas	11
36	43	Gomez - Options	8
37	49	We Are Augustines - Chapel Song	5
38	44	The Lonely Forest - We Sing In Time	5
39	72	MOVER OF THE WEEK:   BRILLIANT COLORS "How Much Younger" Album: Again and Again	2
40	40	Christina Perri - Arms	9
41	39	Peter Bjorn & John - Dig A Little Deeper	10
42	46	Arcade Fire - Month of May	10
43	38	Rachel Allyn - Gettin' By	27
44	60	Cee Lo Green - Bright Lights, Bigger City	3
45	62	Wild Flag - Romance	4
46	50	Zac Brown Band f Jimmy Buffet - Knee Deep	11
47	63	Generationals - Ten Twenty Ten	3
48	64	Foster the People - Helena Beat	2
49	41	The Kills - Future Starts Slow	8
50	35	Dom - Living In America	15
51	51	Kenny Chesney f. Grace Potter - You & Tequila	7
52	59	KT Tunstall - Glamour Puss	4
53	32	Foster the People - Houdini	12
54	53	Scotty McCreery - I Love You This Big	8
55	42	The Vaccines - Post Break-up Sex	19
56	61	Sleeper Agent - Get It Daddy	4
57	52	Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks	26
58	55	Arctic Monkeys - Don't Sit Down "Cause I Moved Your Chair	8
59	56	Brett Dennon - Comeback Kid	6
60	45	Sam Roberts Band - The Last Crusade	9
61	82	Beastie Boys - Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win	2
62	84	The Kooks - Junk of the Heart	2
63	----	TOP DEBUT:   RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" Album: I'm With You	1
64	47	Florence + the Machine - Dog Days are Over	20
65	58	Rise Against - Make It Stop	6
66	71	Young the Giant - Cough Syrup	3
67	70	Linkin Park - Iridescent	5
68	75	Yacht - Dystopia	4
69	88	Lenny Kravitz - Stand	2
70	48	Ke$ha - Blow	9
71	66	Kings of Leon - Back Down South	6
72	73	The Naked and Famous - Punching In A Dream	5
73	67	Givers - Up Up Up	6
74	80	The Head and the Heart - Lost In My Mind	4
75	69	Sublime with Rome - Panic	8
76	85	Michelle Branch - Loud Music	2
77	68	Scars on 45 - Give Me Something	22
78	57	Ben Harper - Rock n' Roll is Free	15
79	54	Flogging Molly - Revolution	7
80	65	Noah & the Whale - L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.	9
81	87	Bon Iver - Calgary	3
82	----	Maroon 5 f. Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger	1
83	79	Fitz and the Tantrums - Money Grabber	33
84	83	10 Years - Fix Me	7
85	86	Hot Chelle Rae - Tonight Tonight	5
86	94	Goo Goo Dolls - All That You Are	2
87	96	Colbie Calliat - Brighter Than the Sun	2
88	78	311 - Sunset in July	7
89	92	The Band Perry - If I Die Young	3
90	----	Los Lonely Boys - 16 Monkeys	1
91	93	Mat Kearney - Hey Mama	3
92	----	PJ Harvey - Let England Shake	1
93	76	Chk Chik Chick - Wannagain Wannagain	17
94	95	The Belle Brigade - Losers	5
95	----	A Day to Remember - All Signs Point to Lauderdale
96	----	Incubus - Promises, Promises	1
97	77	The Raveonettes - Recharge and Revolt	16
98	89	Brother - Darling Buds of May	14
99	90	Austra - Beat and the Pulse	10
100	74	Middle Brother - Me Me Me	12